Gaseous discharge lamp starting circuits are well-known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,917,976 and 3,963,958 both to Nuckolls; No. 2,575,001 to Bird; No. 3,364,386 to Segawa et al; and No. 3,522,475 to Hashimoto. All these reference patents show the use of an RC circuit with a ballast transformer to provide high voltage pulses.
The references show many variations in the use of starting circuits. The Nuckolls patents show the use of RC networks on the output of a ballast transformer with a tapped portion of transformer aiding in the production of the high voltage starting voltage. A neon glow lamp provides a voltage sensitive breakdown path to the tapped turns enhancing the buildup of voltage. The Bird patent shows the use of a capacitor in series with the lamp and a diode in series with a resistor across the lamp to produce a voltage doubling action on the lamp. The Segawa patent shows a RC circuit plus switching element across the tapped turns at the input side of the transformer, as does the Hashimoto patent.